Dane County Land & Water Resources Department

09/04/2026

Now is a great time to get out and monitor for non-native phragmites.

09/04/2026

09/01/2026

This year we gave out nearly 11,000 free native plants to schools and community groups as part of our Free Native Plants program. We wrapped up the summer distribution earlier this month. Since the program began in 2016, we have given out more than 63,000 plants to 268 Dane County organizations.

Learn more about this program here:
https://lwrd.danecounty.gov/grants-and-costshare/free-Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin

Stay in the loop with our native plant programs and updates by signing up for our native plant newsletter:
https://lwrd.danecounty.gov/about/news-and-information/Newsletters

08/27/2026

Over the past few months, we've been traveling across the county leading activities, demonstrations, and presentations to educate and motive people to take action to protect our waters.

Thank you to our community partners, volunteers, and participants for making this season a success. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing you at future events.

Stay tuned for upcoming events and opportunities to get involved. www.ripple-effects.com

08/03/2026

08/03/2026

Our next AIS of the week is the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)!

This AIS can grow between 3-7ft tall and prefers moist soils and shallow water. Early detections is important as, like many AIS, purple loosestrife can outcompete native species.

Sign-up for Snapshot Day 2026 to search for purple loosestrife near you!
https://wav.extension.wisc.edu/events/aquatic-invasive-species-snapshot-day-2026/



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Source: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/PurpleLoosestrife
Photo: Paul Skawinski

07/08/2026

We need help at our Environmental Fun Fair this Saturday. We particularly need set up volunteers from 7:30-8:30 am.

06/25/2026

⭐Meet the Interns⭐
Welcome Tara, a student at UW-Madison graduating this summer with a degree in International Studies. She took some time away from school last year to think about her future, and felt very drawn to the field of conservation. She began volunteering regularly with Dane County Parks and found she loved the work, so she is super excited to continue learning in the field this summer as a Dane County Land & Water Resources Department Intern.

06/25/2026

⭐Meet the Interns⭐
Meet Brier - he is excited to join Dane County Land & Water Resources Department as the Watershed Resource Engineering Division summer intern. Originally from eastern North Carolina, he relocated to Madison at the beginning of 2025 after graduating college. He studied Cultural Anthropology at Appalachian State University, with concentrations in political ecology and religious studies. Before college he volunteered for a season doing trail work with the Conservation Corps of North Carolina, conducted a research project investigating the effects of eutrophication on gelatinous zooplankton populations in the Sargasso Sea, and worked as an in-patient phlebotomist during the COVID pandemic.